# Lion's Mane (*Hericium*)

The Lion's Mane is a fluffy, white mushroom that looks like a lion's mane! It grows on trees and is often found in forests.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Forests
- **Also known as:** Bearded Tooth Fungus, Lion's Mane Mushroom, Pom Pom Mushroom

![Lion's Mane](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426613/objects/5098.jpg)

## Appearance

The Lion's Mane is a striking white to creamy white fungus, often turning yellowish with age, that grows as a shaggy, cascading mass. It has no distinct cap or stem, instead forming long, soft, icicle-like spines that hang downwards, making it look like a fluffy waterfall.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Russulales
- **Family:** Hericiaceae
- **Genus:** Hericium

## Interesting facts

- Ancient doctors in Asia used it for memory and digestion for centuries.
- It's a superfood that can taste like crab or lobster when cooked!
- Lion's Mane can grow high up on trees, sometimes reaching big sizes!
- This mushroom looks just like the shaggy mane of a lion!

## Special abilities

- **Brain Builder:** Lion's Mane has compounds that stimulate nerve growth, helping them improve memory and focus.
- **Gut Guardian:** Lion's Mane contains prebiotics that help them support a healthy gut microbiome and digestion.
- **Immune Defender:** Lion's Mane has powerful antioxidants that help them protect cells from damage and boost immunity.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-40 cm
- **Edible:** edible
- **Size:** 10-40 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Fall to early winter
- **Spore Color:** White

## Ecological connections

- **Parasitizes:** [American Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-beech) (*Fagus grandifolia*) — It grows on and slowly decays this living hardwood tree.
- **Eats:** [Leopard Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leopard-slug) (*Limax maximus*) — Slugs sometimes munch on its soft, delicate spines.
- **Eats:** [Eastern Gray Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-gray-squirrel) (*Sciurus carolinensis*) — Squirrels might nibble on the mushroom's tender parts.

## Traits

- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not pick or eat anything you find. Some plants and mushrooms can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Lion's Mane?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Lion's Mane?

10-40 cm

### Is Lion's Mane edible?

edible

### How big is Lion's Mane?

10-40 cm

### Where is Lion's Mane usually found?

Forests

### What does Lion's Mane grow on?

wood

### When is Lion's Mane in season?

Fall to early winter

### What color are Lion's Mane spores?

White

## Where to spot

- [Yantacaw Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/yantacaw-park) — New Jersey, US · Park

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Lion's Mane: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lion-s-mane)